Portable electric light



C. WACHTEL.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov=12,1919.

INVENTO M fmfg/f Q BY y ATTORNEY5 lPatented Oct. 18, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WACHTEL, OIE JAMAICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MAURICE HARTMAN,

OF NEW YORK, N; Y. l

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application led November 12, 1919; Serial No. 337,542.-

To all whom t may concern:

Be it lmown that I, CHARLES WAcH'rEL, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Jamaica, in the borough and county of Queens, LongIsland, State of New' York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Portable Electric Lights, of which the following is aspeciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in portable self-containedelectric lighting devices. Y

The invention has for one of its objects the provision of a portableelectric lamp so constructed that closing of the circuit by the bridgingof exposed metal parts when the lamp is placed in a tool box or incontact with a metal surface of any kind is impossible.

A further object of the invention is to provde a portable lightingdevice having a tubular casing of insulating material, a conductorwithin the casing, a reflector having a flange seated against one end ofthe casing in circuit with the conductor, a lens, anda. clamping ringdetachably held to the casing for locking the lens and reflector inplace,

the ring and the conductor securing means being so constructed that thering'is insulated from the refiector and conductor.

Another important objectJ of the invention is the provision ofcircuit-closing means embodying a single depressible and laterallyshiftable push button adapted to close the lamp circuit when depressed,and means for locking said button in depressed position when the buttonis shifted laterally.

Another object of the invention is to provide circuit-closing means foran electric lamp, embodying a resilient Contact plate held to the lampcasing, a push button loosely engaging said plate and shiftablerelatively thereto when depressed and having a reduced shank, and ahousing for the push button having a key slot to adapt the button vto belocked i-n depressed position when the reduced shank of the buttonis'engaged in the narrow portion of the key slot.

Another object of the invention is to provide a circuit-closing' devicefor portable electric lights embodying a yieldable contact member, apush button for operating said member, and means whereby the push buttonmay be pressed directly inwardly to temporarily close the circuit, ormoved simultaneously inwardly and laterally to engage an abutment on thebutton under an adj acent ixedabutment to lock the button and member incircuit-closing position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing certain of the partsdisconnected;

Fig. 3 a longitudinal section onthe line` Referring to the various partsby nu merals, l designates a tubular casing formed of suitableinsulating material, preferably vulcanized fiber, formed at its endswith pairs` of oppositely disposed slots 2 and 3. The slots 2 at one endof the casing are connected at their inner ends with cam grooves 4, andthe slots 3 at the opposite end of the casing are connected at theirinner ends with cam grooves 5, the pairs of grooves 4 and 5 being formedin the outer side of the casing 1.

A metallic conductor strip 6 is held to the inner side of thecasing by arivet 7 which passes through the casing and the inner end of'said strip,and by a rivet 8 which extends through the casing and the strip 6adjacent the vouter end of the strip. The outer end of rivet 8 iscountersunk in the Wall of the *casing and the outer end of strip 6 isbent outwardly against the end of the casing. A

metallic conductor strip 9 is held to the inner wall of the casing by arivet 10 which extends through the casing and the inner end of thestrip, and the outer end of said strip is doubled upon itself around theend of the casing opposite that engaged by the end of strip 6 andterminates on the outer side of the casing adjacent one of the camgrooves 5. The outer end of strip 9 is secured by a rivet 11. The innerends of strips Gand 9 are spaced apart and are adapted to beelectrically connected by a manually operable ciNuit-controlling means Ahereinafter de-A scribed.

A dry battery 12, having the usual terminals 13 and 14 at opposite endsthereof, is

being provided with a circumferential flange 16 at its outer edge seatedagainst the adjacent end of the casing and engaging the laterally bentouter end of the conductor strip 6 to electrically connect the reflectorand said strip. The reflector is formed at its inner end with a threadedtubular portion or lamp socket 17 in which an incandescent lamp 18 ismounted, the lamp having the usual threaded terminal sleeve 19 screwedinto the socket 17 and the usual terminal 20 engaging the adjacentbattery terminal 13.

The end of the casing adjacent battery terminal 14 is closed by a'detachable metallic cap 21 having a pair of oppositely disposed lugs orprojections 22 stamped inwardly therefrom and adapted to be passedinwardly through slots 3 and engaged in cam grooves 5, the lugs, groovesand slots forming a bayonet connection between the cap and casing.` Thecap has-a coiled spring 23 mounted within the same adapted to yieldablyforce the battery toward-the lampto maintain the-battery terminal 13 andlamp terminal 20 in engagement with each other. The spring 23 engagesthe battery terminal 14 and forms an electrical connection between saidterminal and the cap 21. The ca 2l is electrically connected with thestrip 9 reason of the engagement of the side wall of the cap with theouter end of said strip and rivet 11.

A lens 24, is seated against the flange 16 of the reflector 15, and thereflector and lens are held in engagement with each other and detachablysecured to the casing 1 by a clamping ring 25. The ring 25 has a bayonetconnection with the end of the casing, said ring having two oppositelydisposed lugs or rojections 26 stamped inwardly from the body of thering adjacent its inner end adapted to pass through slots 2 in thecasing and engage in the cam grooves 4. It will be observedl that thering 25 is insulated from the rivet 8 since the outer end of the rivetis countersunk in the wall of the casing. The ring 25 is pressedoutwardly at 27 from a point below the end of the casing to a pointabove the end of the casing to form an internal circumferential groovein lthe ring coincident with the perimeter of the reflector flange 16and the outwardly bent end of conductor strip 6. The ring 25 is thusinsulated from the conductor strip 6, the reflector 15 and lamp terminal19. The outer endl of ring 25 beyond the outwardly pressed portion 27 isextended inwardly tov form an annular flange 28 engaging the outer faceof the lens 2 The circuit controlling means embodies aV metallic housing30 held to the exterior of the casing by a rivet 29, and also by therivet 10 which extends through the housing and casing and the inner endof conductor strip 9 as hereinbefore described. The housing 30 inclosesthe outer end of rivet 7 which is electrically connected with strip 6,and said housing is electrically connected with strip 9 by the rivet 10.A resilient metallic bridging device or contact late 31 is secured atone end to the underside of the top wall of the housing 30 by a rivet32, said plate having va constant electrical connection with str1p 9through the housing 30 and rivets 32 and 10. The free end of the contactplate 31 is normally spaced from the outer end of rivet 7 and is adaptedto be pressed inwardly by a push button 33 against .said rivet tocomplete the circuit. The push button or finger piece 33 is formed witha central stud or projection 34 at its inner end loosely engagin theouter face of the contact Plate 31. he top wall of the housin 30 isformed with a key slot 35 throug which the button 33 extends. The buttonnormally located exteriorly ofthe housing,

and with a flange 37 at its inner end normally engaging the .under sideof the top wall of. the housing to limit the outward movement of thebutton.` The portion 38 of the button intermediate the flange 37 and thereduced shank 36 normally extends through thelarger circular portion ofthe key slot 35 and is of such length that the outer edge thereof willnot move inwardly beyond the inner side of the top wall of the housingwhen the button is pressed directly inwardly to engage the contact platewith rivet 7. The outer face of the portion 38 is preferably rounded atits edge, as shown. The contact plate is formed w1th a studV orprojection 39 pressed upwardly therefrom and engaged by the flange 37 onthe button, to prevent rocking of the button toward the free end of theplate which might result in the abutment formed by portion 38 of thebutton tilting below the top wall of the housing`and thus permittingaccidental movement ofthe button 4toward the free end of the plate. Toclose the circuit for a brief period the button 33 is pressed directlyinwardly and held down with the thumb or finger as long as desired. Whenthe pressure on the button is relieved the resilient contact plate willreturn to its normal Vposition and force the button outwardly. hen itis'desired to burn the lamp for a relatively lon period the button ismoved inwardly an laterally to engage the reduced shank portion 36thereof in the narrow portion of the key slot, and engage the abutmentformed b the portion 38 of the button under the xed abutment formed bythe top wall of the housing at' the sides of the `narrow portion of theslot. This movement of the button may beA accomplished by a singlemovement V'ofthethumb exerting a pressure on the button andsimultaneously pulling the button toward the narrow po-rtion of' theslot, rocking the button upon the stud 34 as a fulcrum and tilting theabutment 38 belo-w the top wall of the housing, whereupon the shank 36will move into the narrow part of the slot and abutmenti38 will moveunder the top wall of the housing, thus moving the contactvplate tocircuit-closing position and locking the plate and button in theirdepressed positions.

lith the construction above described it will be observed that it isimpossible to accidentally close the circuit by bridging of the ring 25and cap 21, or ring 25 and hous ing 30, by a metal tool or othermetallic object or surface. It will be seen also that simple means isprovided. for temporarily closing the circuit, or for maintaining thecircuit closed for any desired length of time 'without the necessity ofmanually holding the circuit controller in closed position; and that thecircuit controller is actuated through a single push button tomomentarily close the circuit or to lock the controller incircuit-closing position.

What I claim is:

l. Ina flashlight, the combination of a battery and lamp casing, lineterminals on the casing, a metallic housing held to the exterior of thecasing having a key slot in the outer wall thereof, a resilient metalliccontact plate secured at one end to the housing, one of the lineterminals being electrically connected with the housing and the otherbeing inclosed by the housing and located in the path of movement of thefree end of the contact plate, a push button slidably and rockablyengaging the outer side of the contact plate, said button having areduced shank portion normally located exteriorly of the housing and ashank portion of larger diameter normally engaged in the wider portionof the key slot, and coperating means carried by the button and contactplate for preventing movement of the outer end of the larger shankportion of the button entirely through the outer wall of the housingwhen the button is pressed directly inward, said means permittingrocking of the button toward the narrow portion of the key slot to adaptthe reduced shank portion of the button to be engaged in the narrowportion of the slot by a lateral and inward thrust on the outer end ofthe button.

2. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery and lamp casing, a pairof line terminals held to the casing, a metallic housing held to theexterior of the casing electrically connected with one terminal andinclosing the other terminal, a resilient .metallic contact plate withinthe housing secured at one end to the housing and adapted to be flexedinto engagement with the inclosed terminal, said housing having a keyslot in its outer wall, a push button for flexing the contact platehaving a reduced shank portion normally outside of the housing adaptedto pass into the narrow portion of the slot and a larger shank portionnormally envgaged in the wider portion of the slot provided around itsinner end with a laterally projecting flange normally engaging the innerside of the outer wall of the housing, the larger shank portion of thebutton being beveled around its outer end and the button being providedat its inner end with a stud having a sliding and rocking engagementwith the outer surface of the contact plate.

3. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery and lamp casing, a pairof line terminals held to the casing, a metallic housing held to theexterior of the casing electrically connected with one terminal andinclosing the other terminal, a resilient lnietallic contact platewithin the housing secured at one end to the housing and adapted to beflexed into engagement with the inclosed terminal, said housing having akey slot in its outer wall, a push button for flexing the contact platehaving a reduced shank portion normally outside of the housing adaptedto pass into the narrow portion of the slot and a larger shank portionnormally engagedv in the wider portion of the slot provided around itsinner end with a laterally projecting flange normally engaging the innerside of the outer wall of the housing, the larger shank portion of thebutton being beveled around its outer end and the button being providedat its inner end with a stud having a sliding and rocking engagementwith the outer surface of the contact plate, and said contact platehaving a projection on its outer side engaging the inner face of theflanged portion of the button intermediate the stud and the free end ofthe plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES WACHTEL.

